Reasons For Adopting Cohabitation Relationships

Cohabitation Relationships Institutional Affiliation Date Introduction Different studies have shown society preference to cohabitation rather than marriage relationships. This paper explains what cohabitation is and its impacts to different categories of people. Cohabitation is an upcoming trend and whose roots are growing deeper and more profound worldwide. The big question that comes to one’s mind when this term is mentioned is, what is the meaning of the term cohabitation, where or why is it practiced and what are the positive or negative impacts. In general, cohabitation is a situation whereby a couple decides to live together without getting married to each other; however, it does not necessarily implicate that when a couple lives together they are cohabiting CITATION Joh15 \l 1033 (Asland, 2015). A couple may reside at different places and still cohabit. That, therefore, means there are other important aspects that one should look into so as to determine if cohabitation really exists between chosen couples. Among the factors that one should consider in mind for a particular cohabitating couple is the type of emotional attachments that the couple has. Finding out whether love bonds their relationship. Do they surprise each other with presents and gifts? How much are they intimate with each other, do they share one bed, how much do they care for one another other, do they support each other in times of need, do they share meals together and more so how do they act when they are in public. After having thoroughly investigated if all the above aspects indeed really exist for a chosen couple, then that are a true assumption and the exact picture of what cohabitation really is in a real-life situation. Reasons for Adopting Cohabitation Relationships The shift in value orientation in the second half of the twentieth century towards an individualistic lifestyle, in which people understood that sex and marriage are no longer closely related, provides a perfect explanation for the many demographic changes such as the growing trend of cohabitation in the Western world (Trovato 2009). Due to this upcoming behavior, there has been a lot of research carried out to find out the cause or the factors that have aggravated the increment of such practices across the world. Most of the couples highlighted their reason for cohabiting as to the fact that they get to spend most of their time together and by doing so they find themselves suitable for each other. The time they spend together in their cohabitation relationship is necessary before the actual decision whether to get or not get married is reached. To them, cohabitation is a test to find out whether after getting married the relationship will still work or how much are they convenient for each other. Another reason is the insecurity perceived by the couple, so taking more time in cohabitation relationships gives them room to find out more about their other spouse, their characters, and behaviors in general. Such indications prove that most spouses suffer from insecurity thus opting to cohabitation relationships as a way of “test marriage” or finding refuge. North America reported high rates of cohabitation since the 1970s followed by Europe which was second in the list CITATION Joh...